Cleaner Briefing Template: What to Tell Your Cleaner on Day One
25 October 20267 min read
Quick answer: On day one, tell your cleaner five things: your top three priorities, what not to touch, where the supplies are and which product goes on which surface, any add-ons such as toilet cleaning or ironing, and how you want items put back after cleaning. Writing it down in a one-page briefing, like the template below, saves time on the first visit and every visit after it.
A first session goes well or badly mostly on the strength of the briefing. A cleaner walking into an unfamiliar home has to guess where things are, what matters to you and which cupboard holds the marble cleaner. Every guess costs paid time or risks a mistake. The template below is designed to be copied, filled in once and left on the kitchen counter or sent by WhatsApp before the visit. It complements our guide to preparing your home before the cleaner arrives, which covers the 15-minute tidy-up beforehand.
The briefing template
Copy this table into a note, document or message and fill in the right-hand column. Leave a row blank if it does not apply.
| Section | What to write | Your answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Access | Gate or door code, lift lobby, guardhouse registration, where the key is left | |
| 2. Contact | Your mobile number and the best way to reach you during the session | |
| 3. Session length | How many hours are booked and when the cleaner should finish | |
| 4. Top three priorities | The three things that must be done this visit, in order | |
| 5. Problem spots | Specific stains, limescale, grease or mould to focus on | |
| 6. Rooms to skip | Any room that should not be entered, such as a home office | |
| 7. Do not touch | Fragile items, paperwork, electronics, valuables, plants | |
| 8. Supplies location | Where cleaning products, cloths, mop, vacuum and bin liners are kept | |
| 9. Products per surface | Which cleaner for marble, timber, glass, stainless steel, and any to avoid | |
| 10. Add-ons | Toilet deep clean, ironing, balcony, door and gate, decluttering | |
| 11. Putting things back | Items that must go back exactly where they were | |
| 12. Pets and children | Where pets will be, doors to keep closed, items to keep out of reach | |
| 13. Rubbish | Where the rubbish chute or bin is, and whether recycling is separate | |
| 14. Before leaving | Lights off, windows closed or open, aircon off, door locked, key returned |
How to fill in each section well
Priorities: be specific and keep it to three
"Clean the bathroom" tells the cleaner nothing they did not already know. "Master bathroom: shower glass and the black line along the bottom of the screen" does. Three clear priorities fit comfortably into a typical session. Ten vague ones mean nothing gets done properly. In our bookings, the most common session is 3 hours, and a regular clean of a 4-room HDB flat typically takes about that long, so plan your priorities around what is realistic in that time.
Problem spots: point to the places that usually get missed
From what our cleaners see, the spots most often missed in homes are under appliances, behind the toilet bowl and the sink. If those matter to you, write them into section 5. Under the fridge or washing machine, for example, a cleaner needs to know whether the appliance can be moved safely or whether you would rather they reach under with a flat mop. For more on these hidden areas, see our article on the most missed cleaning spots in Singapore homes.
Supplies: say where, and say which
Our cleaners use the products and equipment you provide, which means you decide exactly what is used around your family and pets. It also means the cleaner needs to know where it all is. Group everything in one place if you can, and label anything that is not obvious. Most importantly, note which products to keep away from which surfaces. Vinegar and other acidic cleaners etch marble, for example, and abrasive pads scratch some appliance finishes. If you are not sure what to buy, our list of cleaning supplies to prepare for your cleaner covers the essentials.
Add-ons: decide them before the session starts
In our bookings, the two most-requested add-ons are toilet cleaning and ironing. Both take real time. A thorough toilet clean covers under the rim, behind the bowl, the base, the hinges and the cistern. An ironing pile can take a meaningful share of a session. Say up front whether you want them done, and how much time to give them, so the core cleaning is not squeezed. Our guide to the most-requested cleaning add-ons explains how to budget time for each.
Putting things back: the one most people forget
Alongside under appliances, behind the toilet bowl and the sink, putting items back where they were after cleaning is one of the things our cleaners find most often missed. It is especially hard for a new cleaner to get right, because only you know that the remote lives on the left of the TV or that the spice jars go in a particular order. Be explicit about anything that has a fixed place: desk items, bathroom counters, kitchen tools, children's things. A quick phone photo of a shelf before the first session is an easy way to show it.
A filled-in example
Here is how sections 4, 5, 10 and 11 might look for a 4-room HDB flat:
| Section | Example answer |
|---|---|
| 4. Top three priorities | Kitchen hob and splashback; both bathrooms; mop all floors |
| 5. Problem spots | Behind the toilet bowl in the common bathroom; under the fridge; limescale on the kitchen sink tap |
| 10. Add-ons | Ironing: up to 30 minutes, shirts first. Detailed toilet clean in the master bathroom |
| 11. Putting things back | Study desk: leave papers as they are. Bathroom counter items back in the same spots |
After the first visit: update the briefing
The first session is a calibration. Walk through afterwards, check your priority areas, and adjust the template. Perhaps the ironing needs more time, or the balcony can be done every other visit. On a weekly or fortnightly plan, we do our best to send the same cleaner each time, so a good briefing only needs writing once and then small tweaks. That continuity is one of the main reasons people move to a recurring plan, alongside the $23/hr rate instead of $26/hr on demand. Our article on the benefits of having the same cleaner every week explains why it matters, and if you are uneasy about letting someone in for the first time, read our guide to trust and safety when letting a cleaner into your home.
For an overview of what home cleaning covers, see our home cleaning services guide.
Frequently asked questions
What should I tell my cleaner on the first day?
Your top three priorities, what not to touch, where the supplies are and which products go on which surfaces, any add-ons such as ironing, and which items must go back exactly where they were. Access details and your contact number round it off.
Should I give my cleaner written instructions?
Yes. A short written briefing is easier to follow than a quick verbal tour and can be reused every visit. Keep it to one page so the important points stand out.
How do I ask my cleaner to clean areas they keep missing?
Name the exact spot in your priorities, such as behind the toilet bowl or under the fridge, rather than asking for a "more thorough" clean. Specific instructions are easier to act on and easier to check afterwards.
Do I need to stay home during the first cleaning session?
It helps to be there for the first ten minutes to walk through the briefing, but it is not essential. If you will be out, send the completed template in advance and stay reachable by phone.
Brief once, then relax. Book a weekly or fortnightly clean and we'll do our best to send the same cleaner who already knows your briefing, at $23/hr. Send your completed template to +65 8166 0891 on WhatsApp when you book.